Kirk Khan - Gratitude
by XShatteredNightmareX
Summary: A few months after the events of "Into Darkness", Captain Kirk realizes that although he didn't know it...he never thanked Khan for saving his life. He makes a secret excursion with Bones to wake the space terrorist from his frozen sleep, so he can express his thanks. First STID fanfic! Constructive critism is welcome! Enjoy!


"Remind me. How the hell did you convince me that this was a good idea? We could get demoted for breaking and entering!" whisper/shouted the reluctant doctor.

"Just open the door, Bones. It'll be fine." Kirk retaliated.

Sliding open slowly, the large grey doors revealed several cryogenic tubes safely stored away in the dark. Lined up in rows, holding the seventy-two "supermen" in frozen sleep.

"Pass me the flashlight, Bones." Kirk held his hand out without looking back, knowing that even in his reluctance…Dr. McCoy would obey. And he did.

He walked along the rows upon rows of cryogenic pods. Each one held inside an unfamiliar face when Kirk shun the flashlight on the translucent glass. But he was ambitious and would not stop until he found the one he was looking for.

"What exactly are we doing here, Jim?" Asked Bones as he had to quicken his pace to catch up with the eager Captain.

"Just be quiet. I'll call you when I need you…..which is now." Jim said as he stopped and directed the beam of light towards the 9th tube down the row.

"This is him. I'm sure of it." Kirk muttered out loud.

"This is who?-Oh Jesus Christ Kirk! What the hell are you doing?" Bones put his hands up to his head with as an unsure gesture. It went without saying that based on the man who was inside, his captain was up to no good.

"I don't have time to explain. Can you wake him up?" Kirk asked, his eyes never left the sleeping man inside the tube.

"Well….ye…..yeah! But why would I want to do that? You do realize this is the same guy who killed Admiral Pike and hundreds of people….right? He almost killed you and Spock!" He complained.

"But he saved my life also, remember Bones? His "super" blood?" He asked, turning to him with a raised eyebrow and a faint smile. The doctor gave a frustrated exhale of breath. He was right, even if it was a crazy idea.

"Fine. I'll do it! But remember Jim, I'm a doctor! Not a lawyer! If you go to court for this I am NOT backing you up!" Bones warned as he knelt down to the tube and began the revitalization process.

Kirk waited patiently, shifting the weight on his feet as he collected his words, trying to think of exactly what to say to Khan when he awoke.

"There. Give 'er about three minutes and he should be up and about. But at the first sign of diabolical tendencies you call me. I'll keep an eye out outside for patrol." Bones said and with that, he was off. Not wishing to par take in Kirk's little scheme anymore. He honestly couldn't imagine what else Kirk would want to do to him other than give him a few punches in the face for killing his mentor.

But the real scenario could not have been farther from the captain's mind.

It wasn't an apology, a chance for pay back or revenge….it was gratitude that Kirk mostly wanted to express. Despite everything, Khan had saved his life even if it was involuntarily. And he would be forever grateful for giving him a second chance. Jim was the type of man to embrace life to the fullest and love every moment. But how could he have done that without the help of Khan's "magic" blood?

He slowly slid the glass encasing off of the tube when three minutes had passed and carefully placed it on the floor. He rested his elbows on the top of the tube, starring down at the sleeping terrorist. Kirk did check his watch a few times out of impatience. There were few things the captain disliked more than waiting.

At last, there was a twitch of life in Khan's pale face. His eyes slowly but surely opened….and he found his line of vision to come into complete focus to captain Kirk's face.

Jim might have laughed at the confusion on Khan's sharp features but then again he didn't know what it was like to fall asleep for so long and then be so utterly confused when he woke up.

"….what year is it?" Asked the sleepy war criminal softly.

"3042. This is a hologram of Captain Kirk you're speaking too. Tribbles make up a large percentage of the population and humor is non-existent ." Jim replied sarcastically.

For a moment it looked as though Khan would have actually believed his jest as he starred up at the captain with a rather quizzical look on his face.

Jim exhaled with a shudder of laughter. "2259. It's only been a few months." He answered honestly this time.

Khan starred at Jim with a somewhat relieved expression. "Come on, use your superior intellect. You must have known I was kidding." Jim said.

"I do not understand….Captain." Khan said, now suddenly remembering who this man was. "If my memory serves me right, you wanted me to pay for my actions. So why was I put to sleep?" He could not seem to remember the events beforehand. Although what he did feel was the phantom pain of someone throwing their fist at him…and everything after that is a vacant blur.

"Well, I asked that you be put back to sleep after Commander Spock knocked you out. I heard that was one hell of a fight." Kirk smirked.

"Why are you here, Captain?" Khan asked, if anything….frustrated by the vast amount of confusion he was feeling at the moment.

Kirk decided to drop the jokes that were obviously used to shield his awkwardness and just get to what he was trying to say.

"Okay, the truth is…." He looked down at his hands. "….whether you know it or not, you saved my life. And I'm grateful for that." Kirk admitted honestly, starring into the eyes of who was once his enemy but also his friend.

"…..involuntarily, I did….Mister Kirk." Khan admitted but if Jim's imagination wasn't playing tricks on him, he could see a flush of humility and bashfulness on Khan's sharp cheeks. "I am in no position to accept your gratitude seeing as we stand on opposing sides." He replied stoically.

"Technically, you aren't standing at all…..and nobody really knows that I'm here." Kirk admitted while double taking behind his shoulder just to make sure.

"Hmm. Breaking and entering?" Khan asked while blinking his dark blue eyes softly.

"Something like that." Kirk said. "Look, I gotta make this quick before someone catches us….whatever "this" is." He said while making a circular hand gesture.

"You probably want to…uh…get back to sleep so I…um." Jim scratched the back of his head which was becoming a redundant action. He suddenly planted both hands on either side of Khan's face and almost retracted by how freezing cold his skin was….but he couldn't hold back now or else there would be more questions asked. He leaned down and angled his head so that he could place a brief kiss on Khan's lips. And out of acceptance…or by the fact that he was still too dazed to do much about it, the latter did not resist…and actually leaned a little into the sweet but short lip-lock.

When Kirk pulled away you could have cut the awkward silence with a knife….until the flushed captain finally spoke again. Khan sat up a little in his pod but was only able to do so to an extent. "I've…..wanted to do that for a while. That wasn't just a…." He coughed nervously. "….a spastic impulse." It was true.

Khan slowly nodded his head almost robotically realizing the gravity of the situation.

"Okay, well that was uncomfortable…BONES! Get in here! Put him back to sleep!" He shouted down the hall. Khan squeezed his eyes shut….not used to such a loud noise overcome his senses for a while.

"Sorry." Kirk muttered with a wince. "Um…anyways,…." Khan blinked and looked at Kirk with a neutral expression. "….have a good sleep!" Jim chirped, gave Khan a small salute and rushed off in the opposite direction while Bones came in from the entrance…an array of questions and concerns entered his mind. He opened his mouth to talk to Jim and then quickly dismissed it. Remembering that there was usual no straight answers from James Tiberius Kirk.

"Aw, hell with it…."

~The End?


End file.
